The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-04-07

older brothers and sisters sat at the COM
munion altar, or, if we sat with them, we
pulled at mothers dress and saidt
What does that mean? What is in that
cup! What Is that on the plate.'
Oh, yes; we remember those sacrament
al days of our boyhood. We remember
how much more tender father was on that
than any other day. We remember how
mother stood, and, without saying word,
looked at US, and her eyes got full Of
tears. Oh, the dear old soul! They have
gone! But until the day of our death we
will associate this ordinance with their
memory. And when our work on earth IS
done we will just go up and sit down be-
side them in the heavenly church, as we
used to sit beside them in the earthly
church, and then we will drink new wine
| in our Fathers kingdom.
Behold the Saints, beloved of God
Washed are their robes in Jesus blood;
Brighter than angels, 10! they shine;
Their glories splendid and sublime.
Iremark again: This scene is tender to-
day because it is confessional. You and
remember the time when, if man had
charged us with any thing like imperfec-
ton or wrong-doing, we would have
thrown ourselves back on our honor ami
said:
"You don't know who you are talking
to. Ishal resent such an insult TO my
honor and integrity"
We do not feel that way today. As we
gaze upon the sacrifice of Clrist, and
think of what we have been and what w
have done, our hearts melt within us. We
see one dying accused for oar sin, and
we hear him in his dying words begging
for our service, and yet how little service
we have rendered OF this short life we
have begrudged God even a fragment
Alas! Alas Some of US have lived out
| the most of our days, and yet we have
rendered to God no earnest services. Sad,
| that we could have so maltreated him on
whom all our hopes depend.
oh, my brethren and sisters in Christ,
| to-day join hands with me in confession
before Christ IF there be any place more
humble than another, let US take it. If
there be any prayer more importunate
than another, let US breathe it. If there
be any confession more bitter than an
| other, let us now weep it out:
Well might the sun in darkness hide
| And shut his glories in,
When Christ the mighty maker died
For man, the creatures sin.
Once more: This is tender and alb
| sorbing scene because it is authoritative.
My brethren. we are not always going to
| stay here. This is not our home This is
| only the vestibule of the church in which,
| at last, we expect to enter. At
| ter while our names will
| be taken off the church books, or there
will be mark in the mar gin to indicate
| that we have gone to a better church and
higher communion. Our Father is not
| going to let his children remain in the
dust. The grave is no place for US to stay
| in, 'sThe trumpet shall sound and the
dead shall rise.' The Lord shall descend
from Heaven with shout and the voice
of the archangel, and we shall RISE The
white robe in which they put us to our
last slumber here must get winter Oh,
the reunion of patriarchs, and apostles,
and prophets, and of all our glorified
| kindred, and of that ssgreat multi
tude that no man can number"
| Our SORROWS over. Our iou,
ney ended. 1t will be as when kings bap
quet. And, just as the snow of wlnte,
melts and the fields will brighten in this
| glorious springtime, so it will be with ali
melted away at last before the warm sun
shine of Heaven.
While l present .hese thoughts this
morning does it not seem that Heaven
comes very near to us. as though our
friends, whom we thouht great way
| off, are not in the distance, but close by!
You have sometimes come down to a
river at nightfall, and you have
been surprised how easily you could
hear voices across the river. You shout
| ed over to the other side of the river, and
| they shouted back. 1t is said that when
| George Whitefeld preached in Third
| street, Philadelphia, one evening time, his
voice was heard clear across TO the New
Jersey shore. When 1 was a little while
chaplain in the army, remember how at
eventide we could easily hear the voices
| OF the pickets across the Potomac, just
| when they were using ordinary tones
And as we come to-day and stand by the
| river of Jordan, that divides us from our
| friends who are gone, it seems to me we
| stand on one bank and they stand on III ,
| other, and it is only a narrow stream, and
our voices go and their voices come
Hank! Hushl ! hear distinctly what
they say:
These are they who come out of great tribula
tion, and had their robes washed and made
white in the blood of the Lamb
Still the voice comes across the waters
and / hear:
1--WE hunger no more, we thirst no more
neither shall the sun light on us, nor any
heat, for the Lamb, which is in the mid 81
of the throne, leads us to living fountains
of water, and God wipeth away all tears
| from our eyes"
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